Research shows Councillors working 28 hours per week
Numerous factors affecting councillor workload as DBCC puts plans in place for electoral reviews
Research commissioned by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru shows that County Councillors in Wales are dedicating an average of 28 hours per week to their roles, with factors such as deprivation, cabinet and committee roles, and whether their area has a Town or Community Council all impacting their workload.
The purpose of the research was to examine whether certain factors are having a significant impact on Councillors’ workloads, and whether the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru should take these additional factors into account as it conducts reviews of electoral ward boundaries in the future.
Research organisation, Opinion Research Services found that the factor having the greatest impact on Councillor workload was whether they have taken on additional responsibilities, such as cabinet or committee posts, but that several factors are having an impact.
Councillors consider deprivation to be one of the main factors affecting their workload, with 41% rating it as the most impactful factor.
The presence of a Town or Community Council was also found to have a significant impact on workload, with 52% saying it impacted them.
ORS found that for the most part, councillors feel they (Town or Community Councils) are a positive addition to the community but that their presence generally creates more work for them.
Rurality was also a significant factor, with 32% of councillors saying that serving a rural area has an impact on their workload.
Despite the number of hours worked by councillors, and the several factors identified as impacting their workload, only 23% of councillors said that they had put measures in place to mitigate the impact of their overall workload.
The results of the survey suggest that the most experienced councillors tend to work the longest hours, largely because they are more likely to have additional responsibilities and have increased visibility in the community.
However, a number of factors relating to the nature of wards is also impacting councillors’ workloads. The most pronounced of these is deprivation – both rural and urban, and dealing with its impacts on the ward’s population.
Some of the most common issues adding to workload relate to anti-social behaviour and violent crime, housing concerns, and the time needed to work with other key agencies, within and outside the local authority.
Concerns around deprivation and poverty were said by many to have increased over their time as councillors. Residents in deprived wards are said to have poor access to services, be unsure where to turn for support and may rely on the councillor for any number of issues, despite it not always being part of their remit.
Next in order of precedence, was said to be the impact of the number of schools in the area, and indeed the requirement to be a school governor, as well as the presence of active Town and Community Councils within the ward. Following this, is the volume of casework generated by concerns around infrastructure.
This research has informed the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru’s draft Policy and Practice for its upcoming Electoral Review Programme, in which it will review the boundaries of electoral wards across Wales.
Recommendations from ORS included considering whether there should be a higher ratio of councillors to electors in more deprived areas, and whether the impact of Town and Community Councils or additional schools in an area should be taken into account.
Commenting on the publication, Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ said:
“The Commission would like to thank ORS, councillors, and all council officials who gave their time to take part in this valuable research.
“As we look towards the next Electoral Review Programme, the Commission’s role is to ensure that electoral ward boundaries provide for the best representation for electors, and also allow councillors and prospective councillors to serve their communities to the best of their abilities.
“We look forward to discussions with our stakeholders on the draft Policy and Practice for our future Electoral Reviews and encourage all interested parties to read the ORS report on the Commission's website”.
The Commission will publish its draft Policy and Practice in the coming weeks and stakeholders will have the opportunity to make representations on it.
The full report from ORS is available to read on the Commission's website.
Research shows Councillors working 28 hours per week
Numerous factors affecting councillor workload as DBCC puts plans in place for electoral reviews
Research commissioned by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru shows that County Councillors in Wales are dedicating an average of 28 hours per week to their roles, with factors such as deprivation, cabinet and committee roles, and whether their area has a Town or Community Council all impacting their workload.
The purpose of the research was to examine whether certain factors are having a significant impact on Councillors’ workloads, and whether the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru should take these additional factors into account as it conducts reviews of electoral ward boundaries in the future.
Research organisation, Opinion Research Services found that the factor having the greatest impact on Councillor workload was whether they have taken on additional responsibilities, such as cabinet or committee posts, but that several factors are having an impact.
Councillors consider deprivation to be one of the main factors affecting their workload, with 41% rating it as the most impactful factor.
The presence of a Town or Community Council was also found to have a significant impact on workload, with 52% saying it impacted them.
ORS found that for the most part, councillors feel they (Town or Community Councils) are a positive addition to the community but that their presence generally creates more work for them.
Rurality was also a significant factor, with 32% of councillors saying that serving a rural area has an impact on their workload.
Despite the number of hours worked by councillors, and the several factors identified as impacting their workload, only 23% of councillors said that they had put measures in place to mitigate the impact of their overall workload.
The results of the survey suggest that the most experienced councillors tend to work the longest hours, largely because they are more likely to have additional responsibilities and have increased visibility in the community.
However, a number of factors relating to the nature of wards is also impacting councillors’ workloads. The most pronounced of these is deprivation – both rural and urban, and dealing with its impacts on the ward’s population.
Some of the most common issues adding to workload relate to anti-social behaviour and violent crime, housing concerns, and the time needed to work with other key agencies, within and outside the local authority.
Concerns around deprivation and poverty were said by many to have increased over their time as councillors. Residents in deprived wards are said to have poor access to services, be unsure where to turn for support and may rely on the councillor for any number of issues, despite it not always being part of their remit.
Next in order of precedence, was said to be the impact of the number of schools in the area, and indeed the requirement to be a school governor, as well as the presence of active Town and Community Councils within the ward. Following this, is the volume of casework generated by concerns around infrastructure.
This research has informed the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru’s draft Policy and Practice for its upcoming Electoral Review Programme, in which it will review the boundaries of electoral wards across Wales.
Recommendations from ORS included considering whether there should be a higher ratio of councillors to electors in more deprived areas, and whether the impact of Town and Community Councils or additional schools in an area should be taken into account.
Commenting on the publication, Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ said:
“The Commission would like to thank ORS, councillors, and all council officials who gave their time to take part in this valuable research.
“As we look towards the next Electoral Review Programme, the Commission’s role is to ensure that electoral ward boundaries provide for the best representation for electors, and also allow councillors and prospective councillors to serve their communities to the best of their abilities.
“We look forward to discussions with our stakeholders on the draft Policy and Practice for our future Electoral Reviews and encourage all interested parties to read the ORS report on the Commission's website”.
The Commission will publish its draft Policy and Practice in the coming weeks and stakeholders will have the opportunity to make representations on it.
The full report from ORS is available to read on the Commission's website.